Clutch.



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attoymu No. 860,590. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. E. A. WILLIAMS.

CLUTCH APPLICATION FILED .IULY25.1906.

2 sHEETs-sHnETz.

PATENT OFFICE/ HARRY A. WILLIAMS, OF AKRON, OHIO.

CLUTCH.

, Specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed July 25,1906. Serial No. 327,679.

To all whom it may concern.' I

Be it known that I, HARRY WILLIAMs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented-certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches,'of which thefollowing is a specication.

' My present invention relates to improvements in clutches, of thegeneral class known as friction disk clutches,fand has for its objectthe provision of a clutch mechanism especially intended for use with thespeed transmission gears as applied to automobiles.

When applied to mechanism as above mentioned, or other mechanism whereinthe present invention is applicable, the device produces an efficient,strong, and durable clutch, which will adapt itself to wear and is notlikely to become deranged.

The inventionconsists in certain novel features of construction andcombinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more clearly pointed outinthe claims. Y

In the fpractical application of the invention the driven or loosemember may be agear wheel or other power transmission medium to whichthe device for driving is attached. i

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode I have so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples.

Figure 1 is a view of so much of the mechanism as a whole as isnecessary to illustrate the invention, part of the clutch members being`shown in elevation and part in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse viewonline 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a face view of the driving hub which isrigidly attached to and revolves with the main shaft of the clutchmechanism. Fig. 4 illustrates a disk termed the thrust roller guide, thesame being shown in vertical section and partially in plan. Fig. 5 is aface view of the shifting collar employed inthe mechanism. Fig. 6 is across section of one of the thrust disks. Fig. 7 is a sectional view ofa second thrust disk, and Fig. 8 is a perspective detail viewof a thrustroller, a suitable number of which are held in slots in the roller guideillustrated in Fig. 4. f

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designate a driving ortransmission shaft, which may be driven by suitable power, and. in thisdescription will be termed the driving shaft; 2, a driving hub or diskmounted rigidly on the shaft and rotatable therewith; 3, the hub of thedriving disk; 4, keys, preferably four in number, located incomplementary slots in the driving shaft and projecting into slots orrecesses 5 in the interior face of the driving disk hub; s, the drivesmember, which in this instance is illustrated as a cup shaped casing,and in my application before referred to, is shown as provided with gearteeth on its outer' periphery; 7, the hub of the driven member; 8, abronze bushing or friction ring interposed between the driving shaft andthe hub of the driven member; 9, a series of hriction rings, three innumber, each provided with four recesses or slots at their inneropenings; 10,

a series of four recesses or grooves cut in the outer periphery ofthedriving disk hub, and complementary to the recesses in the frictiondriving rings 9; 11, fourl keys, located in the grooves 10 andprojecting into the recesses in the friction driving disks 9, to lockthe friction disks in connection with the hub of the driving disk sothat the friction driving disks, the driving disk, and the driving hubrotate together; with the driving shaft; 12, an open center disk, withinclined faces, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, and providedwith aseries of slots 13 radiating from a central line or center of the opendisk, the disk being termed a thrust roller guide; 14, a series ofthrust rollers of a tapered shape or conical in form, of a diameterslightly greater than the thick-- ness of the roller guide disk 12, andadapted to be seated in the slots of said guide 15, a thrust disk havingan open center and provided with an inclined face 16; 17, a series offriction driven disks, four in number, preferably of bronze, providedwith a series of recesses in their outer peripheries, and arrangedalternately to bear against the steel driving friction disks 9; 18; fourkeys located in grooves in the interior surface ofthe wall of the drivenmember and projecting into the recesses in the driven friction disks, tolock the driven member in connection with the friction driven disks; 19a second thrust roller disk, greater in diameter than the disk 15, andprovided with an inclined face 20; 21,' a series of four rollers; 22,flattened conical heads on the roliers; 23, a flat, circularguidemember; 24, a series of four slots, radiating on diametrical lines fromthe center of the guide member 23, in which the rollers 2l are adaptedto travel; 25, the disk portion of a cam and shifting nut; 26, a seriesof four slots, located eccentrically in the disk portion 25 andextending from a point toward the center of the disk to a point near theperiphery thereof, and together with the slots 24 adapted to receive therollers 21 which travel therein; 27, the hu`b portion of the member 25provided with screw threads on its exterior surface; 28, interior screwthreads on vthe hub; 29, an adjusting nut of disk shape with screwthreads adapted to engage interior screw threads at the edge of thedriven member; 30 a felt collar; 3l, a dust collar and lock nut adaptedto engage the threads onl the exterior of the hub 27, and

close over the felt collar 30 and a flange 32 on the adjusting nut 429;33, a shifting collar; 34, spiral threads on the exterior of saidcollar, adapted Yto engage the interior threads on the hub 27; 35, fourkeys or feathers located in grooves 36 on the interior of the collar orsleeve 33, and also in grooves 37 in the driving shaft 1, to permit `alongitudinal sliding movement of the collar., but

v not a rotary movement; and 38 and 39', are a pair of thrust collars,between which a lever arc is located to move said collar laterally.

The elements composing the driving member of the clutch are the shaft 1,driving disk and hub 2 and 3, andthe driving friction rings 9. Thedriven elements and members-are the casing 6 operated through the drivenldisks 17 thrust 15 and'19, the rollers 25 and their guide plate or'ring 12. The clutch actuating mechanism consists of the shift 33,threaded hub 27 and its .disk 25, the rollers 21, and roller guide disk19. The actuating elements may be adjusted to take up wear by means ofthe adjusting nut29, as will be readily understood. When the clutchmembers are not in engagement, the elements composing the driving memberof .the clutch rotate with'the driving shaft, the driven member andconnections remaining idle, and the actuating mechanism out of operativeposition.

To engage the clutch and carry the driven member or casing 6 withthefrotation of the driving shaft l; the shift collar 33, which istraveling with the shaft 1, whilethe .hub 27 is at rest, is movedlaterally, by a lever located between the collars 38 and 39. rllhelongitudinal or lateral movement of the shift collarcauses the threads34 thereon tn engage with the interior threads 28 of hub 27, causing thehub to revolve and with it the disk portion 25. It will be observedclearly in Fig. 2 that the rollers 21 are seated in the 'slots-24 of thedisk 23 and also in slots 26 of the disk 25. Thus the revolution of thehub 27 with disk 25, tendsto move the rollers 21 outwardly by reason ofcentrifugal force, and they travel radially in the grooves 25 andeccentrically-tp theshaft l in the grooves 26; always toward theperiphery of the casing 6r As the rollers travel outwardly their heads22 contact frictionally with the inclined face 20 of the disk 19, and asthe rollers ride upl said incline. with increased fn'ctional contact thedisk 19 is moved to the left in Fig. 1 and at one side contacts with thetapered rollers 14`in the roller guide disk or` plate 12. The taperedrollers in turn ,engage the inclined face of the disk 15, and as therollers 21 move outwardly these members -are pressed farther tothe leftuntil the driven friction lution the roller's 2l are no longer actedupon' by centrifugal force return to their positions as shown in Fig.2withdrawing pressure from the thrust disk 19 and permitting thefriction members to become disengaged, and the driven member is allowedto come to a stand still. Y Y

'Fromthe above description taken in connection with the drawings itbecomes obvious that l have produced a friction clutch which fulls allthe conditions set forth as the object of my invention.

'driving member and provided with slots; rollers, with bearing surfaces,in said slots and an eccentrically slotted guide member in which saidrollers travel. l

2. The combination with a driving member and actuating mechanismroatable therewith, of a driven member'and .alternating friction diskscarried by each said member,

and centrifugally operated wedging rollers carried by the actuatingmechanism for bringing said friction disks into frctional Contact.

3. In a clutch, the combination with a driving member end a drivenmember, of a driving disk' and friction driving disks carried thereby,driven friction disks carried by the driven member, a thrust ring, aroller guide ring having slots, rollers in said slots, a second thrustring and centrifugally operated actuating mechanism for bringing saidmembers into frictional contact. f

4. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, and meansfor fictional engagement therebetween, of a thrust ring having aninclined face, aA roller guide having slots, 'rollers in said slots, asecond thrust ring, and centrifugally operated mechanism for engagingthe frictional means through the thrust rings and rollers.

5. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, and meansfor frictional engagement therebetween, ot a pair of thrust rings, a.roller guide ring having slots thereinlocated between said thrust rings,rollers in the slots engaging the thrust rings, and means forbringingsaid frictional means into engagement through the thrust rings.

6. The combination with a driving member and a -driven l gmember, andmeans for frictional engagement therebetween, iof a pair of thrustrings, a. roller guide member provided with slots, rollers in saidslots, and centrifugally operated actuating mechanism for exertingpressure on said i thrust rings to drive the driven member.

7. In a clutch, the combination with a driving member heads'l to engagea thrust ring, and means for moving said llatter' rollers whereby theirpressure on the thrust ring operates to drive the driven member.

8. A clutch actuating mechanism consisting of a driving member, a vlooseshifting member, means for connecting said driving member and shiftingmember, and centrifugally operated means movable eccentrically carriedby said shifting member, combined with 'the driven member of the clutch.l

9. The combination with a driving member and a driven member, of a-1ooseshifting member, means for connecting said shifting member with thedriving member, frictional means for engagement between the driving anddriven members, eccentrically movable means carried by the shift ingmember, and thrust members interposed between said movable means andthe` frictional means.

10. The combination ywith a driving member and a driven member, of ashifting member and 'means for operatively connecting the same with thedriving member, movable rollers carried by the shifting member, aguiding member having eccentric guiding means'engaging the rollers, andmeansl acted on by the` rollers to engage the vdriving and drivenmembers. Y

11. In a clutch, the combination with a driving shaft and driven member,ot`a slotted shifting member, means for operatively connecting said`shifting member to the driving shaft, headed rollers in the slots ofthe shifting member, a slotted guide member and eccentric slots in saidmember engaging the rollers, and acted on by said rollers for drivingthe driven member.

12. In a clutch, the combination with a driving shaft and a drivenmember, of a loose shifting member, wedging rollers carried thereby forengaging the driven member, and means carried by said shaft for movingthe shifting member to operative engagement to drive the driven member.

13. In a clutch, the combination with a driving shaft and driven member,of a loose shifting nut provided with threads, a threaded collar carriedby the shaft and movable thereon to engage the threaded nut, and meanscarried by said shifting nut and actuated by said shaft to drive thedriven member.

14. In a clutch, the combination with a driving shaft and frictionaldriving plates connected thereto, of a driven member carrying drivenfrictional plates, of a loose shifting nut providedA with threads, athreaded collar carried by the shaft and movable thereon to engage saidnut, and'means carried by said shifting nut and actuated by the shaftfor bringing the driving and driven friciional plates! rotatable withthe shaft and movable to rotate said nuit,A

and rollers having bearings in said slots.

16. Ina clutch actuating mechanism, the combination Vwith a drivingshaft and driven member means, for frictional engagement therebetween,of a loose rotatable nut having threads, and provided with eccentricslots, rollers having bearings in said slots, a slotted guide plateforsaid rollers, and a laterally' movable collar rotatable with, 'v

the shaft, adapted to Iengage and rotate said nut.

17. In a clutch, the combination with a driven member and a drivingshaft means for frictonahcontact therebetween, of a loose rotatablemember provided with eccentric slots, rollers in said slots, a guideplate having slots engaging said rollers, a pair lof thrust rings, aslottedplate between said rings, friction members located in the slotsof the guide plate and bearing on the thrust rings, and said rollersformed with heads to bear on one of said thrust rings.

18. In a clutch, the combination with a driven membe and a driving shaftmeans for frictonal contact therebetween, of a loose rotatable memberprovided with eccentric slots and a guide plate having radial slots, aroller having bearings in each said slots, and a laterally movablecollar rotatable with said shaft, for rotating said loose member.

19. The combination with a driven member and a driving shaft of aloosely rotatable nut provided with eccentric slots, a guide memberprovided with radial slots, a roller engaging each said slots, a collarrotatable with the shaft, and laterally movable to engage said nut, apair of thrust rings, frictionf members therebetween, an inclined face`on one of said rings, and conical shaped heads on said rollers adaptedto engage said inclined surface.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY A. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

J. R. VAUGHAN, JOEL G. Pmrrs.

